When it comes to running any organization, if there is confusion on policies or procedures people are bound to get mixed signals. The problem increases exponentially when polices or procedures are not written down. With the introduction of the Standard Operating Procedures we hope to reduce any confusion which may exist within the council.

According to the Advancement Committee Policies and Procedures ("the red book"), one of the duties of the Council Advancement Committee is to "establish procedures within the framework of national policy" (p. 5).

These Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) are the established advancement procedures and supersede all other verbal or written instructions.

The Council Advancement Committee has attempted to keep the procedures in line with the national policies as published in the red book. There may be instances, however, where something was missed or recent national policy changes necessitate a review of the current procedures. When you notice discrepancies or problems with the SOPs please follow the "SOP Change Procedure." In this way we can keep the SOPs up to date and also address the needs within the council.

With the SOPs in place everyone will have access to the same information and should a person encounter a situation they have never been in before they will be able to handle it with ease. These SOPs are intended to be used by anyone in the council involved in Scouting. In this way we should all be more unified in our efforts to provide a quality program to our youth.

Finally, let us not forget the words of the founder of the Boy Scout movement, Lord Baden-Powell: “Don’t let the technical outweigh the moral...The end is character - character with a purpose.”

Please help us make our council the best we can in delivering the promise of Scouting to our youth.